Showing posts with label Neville Staple. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Neville Staple. Show all posts

Saturday, 23 September 2017

White Room - Ysgol Sul - Death Of Guitar Pop - Trevor Hall - Wild Meadows - ALASKALASKA

White Room - The Blue / Tomorrow Always Knew.

Background - Brighton indie rockers White Room have announced their debut headline UK tour featuring new double EP Eight in its entirety (released on 1st December).

Recent signees to the legendary Liverpool label, White Room’s nod to 60s psychedelic rock alongside more contemporary influences (Pond, Temples, Cage The Elephant) is evident throughout their new record Eight, a collection of songs that interlock conceptually, comprising similar themes such as forward thinking, hope, positivity and escape.

Inspired by the current social and political climate of the world and the uncertainty we all live with, the synergy between the lyrics and themes signified by 8 – the number of infinity – hints at the real depth within Eight, touching on aspects of joy, strength, balance and power in unity.

Discussing the release, the quintet stated: “In Eight we are offering a way to lose yourself; find an escape, and to embrace the intrinsic ability music has to take you away from the harsh realities of life”. Website here, Facebook here, live dates on Beehive Candy's tour news page.

We have two tracks, 'The Blue' and 'Tomorrow Always Knew' and both vie for attention. The sixties psychedelic influences shine through, the second song has more than a little of The Beatles flavour to it. That said the creativity of White Room deserves full recognition, as does the fresh production, and melodic delivery.


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Ysgol Sul - Elsewhere.

Background - West Wales three piece Ysgol Sul will be self-releasing their first collection of English language songs –“Eventide”- on 30/09/17.

Brought together by a mutual love of the 90s underground, Iolo Jones (singer, guitarist), Llew Davies (drummer), Cian Owen (bass guitar), formed Ysgol Sul in 2014. Having released several singles and an EP called “Huno”, the band has managed to earn a cult following within the Welsh language scene.    

“Eventide” is a stark departure from the slacker and languor of their debut EP, and introduces a touch of darkness to the bands dreamy sound. The EP opens with “Silhouette” – a song with a sense of yearning yet one of the band’s jangliest songs to date. 

“Promise Me” sees a return to the trio’s early surfy sound, drenched in reverb. “Elsewhere” is an unholy union of haunting distant sounds and a fierce unrelenting beat. Introverted lyrics coupled with sweet harmonies are brought to the EP by “Dwell”. Krautrock locomotive, “Solitude”, closes the collection. Facebook here.

The Welsh music scene has given us some fine new music this year and Ysgol Sul continue the momentum with 'Elsewhere' a dreamy and expansive rocker. There is plenty to say for singing in the "language of your heart" the switch to English however has not dampened the natural passion & hopefully makes the band more immediately assessable to a larger audience.

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Death Of Guitar Pop - Suburban Ska Club Feat. Neville Staple.

Background - Essex-based Death Of Guitar Pop have announced details of their debut album ’69 Candy Street’ (out November 10th), a new single ‘Suburban Ska Club’ (which features Neville Staple of The Specials), and their debut live show as a 9-piece ska band (taking place at Oslo, Hackney on Friday 1st December). 

Death Of Guitar Pop have been sparking huge interest from over recent months, with The Orginal Rudeboy Neville Staple (The Specials) collaborating on their new single, the Bad Manners horn section (aka The Mafia) throwing their hat into the ring to play on the album (and will play as part of the Death Of Guitar Pop live band playing at Oslo on December 1st), and with the likes of Pauline Black (The Selecter) and Dave Wakeling (The Beat) give the lads big props on social media.

“Suburban Ska Club” is lyrically inspired by the characters that frequent the bands free Ska night “Ska Club Essex", a “no thrills - just tunes” monthly affair at the spit and sawdust boozer The Traitors Gate, deep in the heart of Grays Essex. Facebook here.

OK so I am a sucker for anything Ska and Death Of Guitar Pop's collaboration with Neville Staple on the new song 'Suburban Ska Club' is an absolute delight. The dancing on the video has some classic Two-Tone era moves, what more can I ask for?


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Trevor Hall - What I Know.

Background - Raised on an island in South Carolina, singer/songwriter Trevor Hall realized at a young age that music was more than just a passion - it was, rather, his life’s art. At sixteen, he recorded his first album, soon after which he left South Carolina for Idyllwild Arts Academy in California where he studied classical guitar and was introduced to the practices of yoga and meditation, which would greatly influence his life and his music.

Hall’s music, a blend of roots and folk music, is imbued with a deep love of Eastern Mysticism. This powerful symbiosis fostered a deep connectivity with his growing fan base and Trevor quickly matured into a leader of the burgeoning conscious musical community. Along with numerous pilgrimages to India, he has also completed a series of sold-out tours and collaborations with artists such as Steel Pulse, Ziggy Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Matisyahu, Michael Franti, Xavier Rudd and Nahko & Medicine for the People.

His previous full-length album releases, Chapter of the Forest (2014) and KALA (2015), debuted at #3 and #2 on the iTunes singer/songwriter chart respectively and were supported by extensive tours around the US and Australia. Beyond his intention to spread love and healing through music, Hall also collects donations to support children’s education in India and has continuously donated to charities and relief funds.

The Fruitful Darkness is Trevor’s first independent release — supported by his fans know as The Villagers — has become the #1 Music campaign of its kind in 2017. “There have been many hurdles and triumphs along the way” Hall reflects, after a decade plus recording for established labels such as Geffen and Vanguard. “This album conveys the deep vulnerability of journeying through the unknown, as opposed to playing it safe.” Besides the change in infrastructure, the album itself explores completely new sonic terrain and is being released unconventionally, in three song installments on specific lunar dates, with the intention to buck the trend of fly-by-night releases and hold the conversation for a whole year. Website here, Facebook here.

When Trevor Hall's vocals kicked in, I just wanted to hear more. 'What I Know' is a fabulously constructed song, the music moves from being understated to a richer, fuller sound, but never loses it's clarity. The harmonies manage to add even more passion and feeling.

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Wild Meadows - Feel The Noise.

Background - Wild Meadows present ‘Feel the Noise’, the lead single from their forthcoming debut self-titled LP. A blend of pulsating noise-pop, psych-rock and shoegaze, the track is the first offering from Wild Meadows with this new lineup, with singer Jessica Lawrence, guitarist Dylan Bird and drummer Simon Gemmill joining original members James Ross (guitar/vocals) and Donovan Pill (bass). 

Hailing from different corners of Australia and the world, the band’s current members came together in mid-2016 and immediately set about writing material for this new album – a follow-up to the band’s 2015 EP.

Recorded, mixed and produced by Paul ‘Woody’ Annison (Black Cab, Rocket Science) and mastered by William Bowden (The Church, Gotye), Wild Meadows’ self-titled LP is set for release in early 2018. Facebook here.

A powerful yet well defined wall of sound ensures the Shoegaze vibe is there right from the start on 'Feel The Noise'. The vocals add some delicacy and additional atmosphere, and as the song develops the track suggests the band are not stuck in any particular rock genre.

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ALASKALASKA - Patience

Background - ALASKALASKA are a London based art-pop 6 piece. Since 2016 they have been busy cultivating a beautiful groove-laden sound, seamlessly blending jazz, disco, funk and R&B into something totally new and unique. Bandleader and vocalist, Lucinda John-Duarte’s ethereal and otherworldly voice twists brooding and introspective lyrics into hypnotic melodies, which play out alongside rich and intricate arrangements - synthetic beats and live drums, shimmering guitars, pulsing bass, with swirling synths and saxophones rounding it all off.

Their brilliant self-titled debut EP is the perfect introduction to their brand of unique off-kilter pop. The four songs - Bitter Winter, Familiar Ways, Patience, This - mark the arrival of a formidable group, reminiscent of Arthur Russell, Talk Talk, Dirty Projectors and Warpaint. They’ve built a cult following and reputation as extraordinary performers through a handful of shows in London and most recently on tour throughout the UK and Europe supporting Alvvays.

'Patience' is inspired by classic 90s film Sliding Doors, and naturally, a love of watermelons, it was filmed around the band’s South East London locale. The song was inspired by the more pop-leaning side of the Tsonga (or Shangaan) disco movement. Its climatic intertwining sax driven finale has become a highlight of their live performances and serves as another taste of their brilliant self-titled debut EP.

ALASKALASKA (EP) is out on 29th September via Marathon Artists’ imprint House Anxiety (the label that introduced the world to King Krule and Courtney Barnett). There is a release party at Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club on September 28th, their biggest headline show to date, with support from Sorry and Boniface. Limited ticket and 12” EP bundles are available exclusively from Dice now. Website here, Facebook here.

We featured ALASKALASKA back in May and the latest song 'Patience' is more than welcome. The band have a distinct and pleasing sound, where different musical styles and arrangements emerge within just one song.


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Saturday, 11 February 2017

Saturday Seven: Neville Staple - Beatrix Players - Black Dough - A Treehouse Wait - The Routes - Nozart - Josephs Coat

Neville Staple - Return Of Judge Roughneck.

Background - On February 17, legendary Specials and Fun Boy Three founding member Neville Staple will be releasing his new studio album ‘Return of Judge Roughneck’ via Cleopatra Records. This double LP features brilliant new re-workings of classic Jamaican cuts, some brand new material, and a few gems from Neville’s past, along with a bonus dub album offering serious bass-bin shaking mixes.

Known as The Original Rudeboy, Neville Staple is a Jamaican-born British singer credited with changing the face of pop music not only once but twice. His 35-year career in the music business is well documented, from the early days with The Coventry Automatics, The Specials and Fun Boy Three to collaboration with Ranking Roger in The Special Beat and various other collaborations during his solo career from the 90s until the present day.

About his musical legacy, Neville Staple comments: “The way we brought it was mixing Jamaican music with the English style, which was actually punk at the time. Now most people are into ska, they listen to all the people that we talked about that they might not have listened to before... This has happened again and again with the different waves of ska. I am hearing lots more young bands now also putting their own spin on ska – some with dance music and some with a rock beat. It's all good. The music just makes you want to dance. Even when singing about tough times, every-day things or bad things, the beat and the rhythm makes you want to move!" The Neville Staple Band is playing shows all around the UK in late winter and spring in support of ‘Return of Judge Roughneck’. Website here, Facebook here.


The Original Rudeboy has returned with a new album and if featured song 'Return Of Judge Roughneck' is anything to go by, we are in for some seriously special ska sounds. Once again Neville Staple reminds us of just how important his role in both The Specials and his other projects were.

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Beatrix Players - Molehill.

Background - Following their single 'Lady Of The Lake'; London-trio Beatrix Players have announced their debut album Magnified will be released on March 31st. Beatrix Players are a London-based all-female trio who make florid, adventurous music that operates at the interface between folk, singer-songwriter acoustica, prog and quasi-classical baroque chamber pop. 

There is a light, translucent quality to the music, and yet when it is not being hushed and reverent, it has the attack and thrust, the surging dynamism, of rock. It can be soft and intimate, but it can also be fiery and intense, epic and immense. There are tempestuous passages in their music that you can imagine being delivered by traditional rock instrumentation but it is the very absence of guitars and drums that means that there is nobody out there quite like Beatrix Players.

Through their enchantingly dark and evocative melodies, expansive arrangements and empowered orchestral sound Beatrix Players tell stories of real life and fantasy. Citing influences as diverse as Michael Nyman and Regina Spektor and drawing comparisons to the likes of Kate Bush and Einaudi Ludovico. In 2015 the band (Amy Birks, Jess Kennedy and Amanda Alvarez) took their unique sound – a beautiful combination of vocals, piano and cello – into the studio to record their self-produced debut album, which has been mixed by two-time BBC Folk Award winner, Jim Moray. Website here.


One of thirteen exquisite and intricately crafted songs on the new album, the featured track & video for 'Molehill' is our second chance to share some of Beatrix Players music. 'Magnified' is a wonderful collection of material that, drifts across genres from folk to chamber music and a good number of styles in between. Vocals and harmonies are on a par with the musical arrangements, this is an album I would seriously recommend if the featured song appeals to you.

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Black Dough - Nighty Night.

Background - Black Dough was formed in Gothenburg, Sweden back in 2013 – and shortly upon that the four piece recorded their debut EP, ”first punch!”. Since then Black Dough has been playing constantly, visiting clubs and festivals all over the world – from Dublin, Ireland to Rabat, Morocco. Sporting a sound hard to define, the experimental unit has been called everything from jazz punk to voodoo rock. With the release of ”Freaky Family”, the band’s new full length album due to May 2017, Miranda Raeder – front person and composer – decides to label it experimental rock. Beautiful, dissonant, heavy and dirty.

I have a thing for the strange and dramatic. When I write a song  I see pictures in front of me like a film. I create a mood in harmonies, lyrics and expression. The music should  fairly be treated as a play in 8 acts.  The story is you as a listener, you create the frames but I provoke them.  It’s not ‘easy listening’ music, you will feel it.

Miranda is the center of the group. She writes all the material and also directs the band’s music videos, but the Black Dough sound first and foremost stems from the four musicians of the unit playing together. Black Dough is a band with 4 members and the sound requires that all 4 of us are involved. I write all the music and decide roughly how it will sound but we rehearse and form the songs together and in that process we all contribute. Website here, Facebook here.


'Nighty Night' immediately gained my attention with fabulous vocals that tease out so much more than just the lyrics, and interact so well with an equally distinct and pleasing soundtrack.  

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A Treehouse Wait - Waves.

Background - A Treehouse Wait would now like to invite you to check out the video of their new single 'Waves'. Waves is taken from the album Interludes.

After spending a month in the USA, being the opening act for a Swedish folksinger, singer and songwriter Jenny Wahlström plucked up the courage to put the songs down on paper and record the songs she didn’t think she’d ever share with the rest of the world. A Treehouse Wait was born.

The music is mostly inspired by the things one is so familiar with, but mostly would not talk about. Like empty city streets during the summer. Or when anxiety leaves. Giving up your love or the fear of leaving home. It’s not all beautiful, but it’s all life. And sharing that experience, the music suddenly creates a place for you to be, and you know that someone else has been there, too. Facebook here.


Our second feature for A Treehouse Wait, this time for the new video and single 'Waves'. With this particular song Jenny Wahlstrom's vocals seemingly move from vulnerable to powerful and back again. Melodic, gentle and full of atmosphere this is one beautiful track.

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The Routes - No Permanence.

Background - The Routes always seem to be do something different stylistically on every record they release; from their largely R&B influenced debut album “Left My Mind”, to the playful US garage drenched “Alligator”, to the Strummin’ Mental madness of the “Instrumentals” album, right up until “Skeletons” in 2016 which saw them on more of a modern garage punk trip. It doesn’t seem to matter what they do, and who plays in the band; it still unmistakably sounds like The Routes .

“In This Perfect Hell”, the fifth album by The Routes, brings you ten original songs. No filler and no covers. From the start, you can tell it’s not going to be your stereotypical garage album. This time The Routes seemed have strayed far from your average garage bands comfort zone. They have stripped everything right down in the playing department, with leader Chris Jack playing pretty much everything apart from the drums.

The stripping down seems to have the opposite effect, of creating a huge, thick, heavy wall of sound. The nasty Japanese fuzz pedals, and very simple guitar leads stab through the wall, and stick into your brain. It’s not exactly your typical garage, it’s not exactly psych; it’s not exactly any one thing in particular. Is this a mutant musical manifestation of Chris Jack’s musical taste? One wonders if he opened the floodgates on his musical tastes and just let it all come through.

The brain penetrating heavy fuzz, and Maureen Tucker-esque rhythm of opening track “Thousand Forgotten Dreams”, instantly tells you we are again on a new, different tangent. The hypnotic guitars are actually not unreminiscent of early Spacemen 3 or Jesus and Mary Chain. “Worry” sounds like it could be the cover of a long lost Tamrons acetate, being played by The Fall. You have catchy up-tempo lyrically playful numbers like “Peeling Face” and “Housework In My Head”, sounding like The Kinks meet The Modern Lovers, meet Guided By Voices; “Something Slipped Through My Window” and “Oblivious”, again see the band in fine songwriting form, with The Routes Acetone organ resurrected. Website here, Facebook here.


The video reminds me of an early Pink Floyd performance, however that's where comparisons must stop. 'No Permanence' is a feisty rock'n'roll number with fuzzy and vibrant guitars, loud and proud vocals and a driving rhythm.

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Nozart - Puppet.

Background - Nozart is a cinematic post-rock project lead by composer/pianist/producer Noah Kellman, based in New York City. He grew up in Syracuse, NY, where he often sat at the top of the staircase in his home, listening to his father play a variety of pieces by Chopin, Beethoven and Mozart. 

By age 5, his father had taught him most of these pieces by ear. When he was 10-years-old, Kellman heard Duke Ellington for the first time and began studying jazz intensively.

While building his skill as a jazz pianist, Kellman was constantly composing and producing songs. Kellman's musical foundation stems partly from his long devotion to jazz. He was often inspired by the story-like musical nature of the collaborations between pianist Brad Mehldau and composer Jon Brion. Other important influences come from classical music and soundtrack composers, including greats such as John Williams, Danny Elfman, Stravinsky and Ravel. Website here, Facebook here.


Despite Noah Kellman's musical upbringing 'Puppet' is a long way from any classical or jazz genre. However as is often to be expected with those a fore mentioned styles originality is here and in abundance. Post rock is a reasonable label, it's also accessible, and the vocals tend to give the whole piece a consistent sound, whilst the music dips into different places, adding layers of sound.

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Josephs Coat - Breathe.

Background - Josephs Coat is the new project by multi-instrumentalists and song writers Abe and Ben Camden. Together they have founded a number of bands over the last 15 years, each being an integral part of the musical journey they boys have been on. 2017 finds the band on the cusp of releasing their second EP, and they could not be happier with the direction it has taken them.

‘Breathe’, the first offering from the upcoming EP is a lyrical celebration of new love, with the verse spilling a message of reassurance, before leading into a triumphant chorus were the vocalist gloats over his new-found situation. With a funk driven pulse through this track, it maintains its rock thread with an infectious vocal melody that will get stuck in your head for days.

After spending a few years apart exploring separate parts of what the east coast of Australia had to offer, the Camden brothers decided it was time to get back in the studio and do what they enjoy most. So, in 2014 the sessions began for their debut EP titled The Black Ocean, and were recorded at Love Street Studio on the Gold Coast. They both decided to call Coffs Harbour home again. Between surfs and catching up on good times with family and friends, the year was spent launching their genre defying sound. Which is a unique, alternative take on funky blues, hints of jazz, with a tasty twist of reggae rock grooves. Best to be heard to understand the marvellously eclectic sounds being projected into your ears.

Playing some prestigious and vibrant venues such as The Basement in Sydney, to the great northern in Byron Bay. The list of artists that the Brothers have together shared the stage with kept growing, Adding Jebediah, Sea Legs, Tired Lion to a list of previous artists such as Cog, Grinspoon, Dead Letter Circus and The Butterfly Effect. With appearances at festivals such as Turtle Fest in Bellingen with Mark Seymor, Katie Noonan. And The Banana Field Festival in Coffs Coast with Illy, British India, Phil Jamison, Art Vs Science, and with Sea Legs at the Falls Festival pre-party in Byron Bay. Facebook here.

At first 'Breathe' seems to tease the listener as to which particular direction the song is going to take. It settles on a funky alt rock style and throws up enough hooks to keep my attention, and settle on another listen.

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